Last Updated on June 24, 2024 by Steph
Now that we have officially settled in sunny San Diego, we decided to sit down and dream up all the amazing things we could possibly do while living here. Coming up with our California bucket list was so fun. With the pandemic, our travels and adventures are limited right now, so this gives us something to dream about until we can be out adventuring again.
Justin grew up in Orange County, but left right before high school. We’ve been back a few times together, but there is still so much to explore. The national parks alone would keep us busy for a month. We tried to add as much as possible close to home because our travels will mostly be just a weekend or overnight. Our California bucket list will most likely grow over time, but this is what we have for now.
Our California Bucket List
Close to Home in San Diego
- San Diego Zoo. ✅
- Hike and Explore Torrey Pines State Reserve. ✅
- Check out the Museum of the Man in Balboa Park.
- Take a surf or kiteboarding lesson. ✅
- Hike to the Cuyamaca Peak Loop, the second-highest peak in the San Diego area.
- Hike the Cowles Mountain Trail, one of the most popular trails in San Diego county.
- Have a drink at Hotel Del Coronado. ✅
- Hike to Three Sisters falls.
- Explore Old Town San Diego and the missions to learn more history. ✅
- Camp on the beach.
- Go to a Padres Game.
- Walk to Mexico. There is a shuttle that goes to the border and you can cross on foot.
- Snorkel with the Leopard Sharks. (Attempted, but no spotting)
- Annie’s Canyon Trail.
- Wander around Little Italy. ✅
- Kayak in Mission Bay.
- Picnic at Sunset Cliffs. ✅
- Spend a beach weekend in Rosarito, Mexico.
Southern California
- Spend a mountain weekend in Idyllwild. It’s a strange little mountain town just two hours away from SD. We want to hike and explore the area. ✅
- Hike to the Hollywood Sign. We’ve seen it and driven past it, but I’d love to hike up to the sign itself.
- Go to a Kings game.
- Return to El Capitan Canyon just north of Santa Barbara to stay in the yurts.
- Spend a weekend wine tasting in Temecula.
- Enjoy a night away in Santa Barbara. ✅
- Wander around the Los Angeles Farmer’s Market.
- Spend a night on Catalina Island.
- Act like a kid at Universal Studios or Disneyland.
- Hike Mt Whitney.
- See a show at the Hollywood Bowl.
- Ferry to Channel Islands National Park.
- Visit Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
- Return to Death Valley and actually spend the night.
- Spend a weekend in Ojai. Wine, mountains and the adorable town – I want it all.
- Visit Mojave National Preserve & Castle Mountain.
- Hike to the “Top of the World” in Orange County.
- Ski/board at Big Bear.
- Go to a Dodgers Game (and maybe an Angels game).
- Camp at Joshua Tree National Park. ✅
- Visit the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. This means STAYING on the paths, but I would love to see all the flowers when they are blooming.
- Enjoy an OC Beach Day – 1,000 Steps and Table Rock Beaches are high on the list. ✅
- Check out some of the hidden staircases in LA. There are 42 in total and they each have special history.
- Spend a relaxing weekend in a Palm Springs AirBnB. I’m a sucker for those colorful doors and midcentury modern houses.
Northern (and Central) California
- Hike in the Ritter Range. Anything that is located in the Ansel Adams Wilderness just sounds like it will be stunning.
- See Mount Shasta. ✅
- Visit Yosemite National Park.
- Visit Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park.
- Hug a tree in Redwood National Park. ✅
- Enjoy everything about Big Sur. ✅
- Ski/board in Lake Tahoe.
- Stay at the AutoCamp in the Russian River area. ✅
- Explore Monterey Bay.
- Drive through Pinnacles National Park. ✅
- Eat all the food in San Francisco (and explore more). We went a few years ago and spent just a few nights there. I think we are quite a bit better at traveling now and would love the chance to explore a little more.
- Visit Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Are we missing anything that you would recommend adding to our California bucket list.
Pin this list for your next trip to California:
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